1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the utilization of metal hydride and an acidic reagent for the accelerating of masses. Moreover, the invention also relates to propulsion devices for applying such materials.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is presently known that a mass which is to be accelerated can be employed as the yieldable; in effect, deviating portion of the damming for an expansion chamber in which there are generated, either non-recurrently or periodically, intensely expanding reaction gases, for instance, through the burning down of a propellant powder (for the firing of a projectile from a weapon barrel), or through the combustion of liquid propellants or fuels (for example, for the linear or rotational movement of the piston in an Otto or Diesel engine). However, this mass which is to be accelerated need not be a rigid projectile-shaped or piston-shaped structural element; but can also relate to the mass of a fluid which reacts slowly or sluggishly to dynamic loads, as in the instance of a water reaction or jet motor used for the propulsion of watercraft, as is known from the disclosure of German Pat. No. 11 22 403.
In the interest of obtaining a satisfactory degree of thermodynamic efficiency, for the acceleration of a mass as the result of the expansion of a reaction gas bubble (dammed by the mass which is to be accelerated), there is basically made an effort that the chemical reaction in the dammed reaction chamber produces as steep a pressure rise as possible in the then energy-rich expanded reaction bubble at the smallest possibly quantity of materials which must be employed, which on the other hand, should be as uncritical as possible with regard to its safety in storage and handling and its operational dependability. For an increase in the density of the reaction gas energy and in the reaction gas quantity relative to the quantity of the utilized reaction partners, there have been investigated numerous groupings of reaction partners.
In instances, in which has there has actually been achieved a noticeable rise in the quantity of energy-rich reaction gas, this finally concerns itself always with the application of reaction partners which, because of economical or technological reasons, will practically not come into consideration; namely, for example, since certain materials which are necessary for the reaction, are available to the large extent required by the industry or at a tenable price, or since the toxicity, in effect, the reaction compatability (danger of spontaneous ignition) of reaction partners, must present barely realistically fulfillable safety demands on the storage and handling of the materials.